Air spring



Feb. 24. 1925. 1,527,764

J. F. WALILACE AIR SPRING Filed Dec. 27, 1-921 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

JOHN F. WALLACE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND PNEUMATIC TOOL COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AIR SPRING.

Application filed December a, 1921. Serial No. 524,888.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, JOHN F'. WALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and 6 State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Air Springs (Case A), of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to improvements in air springs or shock absorbers for vehicles, in connection with the main springs thereof. and it relates particularly to the mounting of the air springs on the vehicle, including the attachment thereof to the chassis frame and the connection with the leaf spring.

One of the objects is to provide an improved form of bracket between the air spring and the chassis frame so as to provide a bracket having a construction such that the air springs can be very readily and properly mounted on the chassis, and having by reason of its construction a range of adjustability which reduces to a. minimum the number of different brackets required to mount the air springs on cars of different makes.

Another object of the invention is to provide the connection between the air spring and leaf spring which minimizes liability of breakage or disconnection in the shackle or connecting device between the air spring and leaf spring, and provides for adjustability to compensate for wear.

The invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying. sheets of drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of the invention which operates with high efficiency, Fig. 1 is a side view of an air spring 4 attached to the chassis frame and leaf spring, a portion of the frame and spring only being shown, and the lower part of the air spring being in section; F1 2 is a view looking toward the face of theiracket and viewed along the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of that part of the bracket which is attached to the chassis frame; Fig. 4 is a sectional view substantially along the line 44 of Fi 1, looking upward; and Fig. 5 is a d etail view of a spherical split seat in which the ball of the so-called member engages.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents as a whole, the air spring, the details of which are not material to the present invention. Preferably this spring is of the type composed of a pair of upper sleeves including an outer one designated 10, and an inner sleeve telescopically arranged with respect to the upper sleeve, and a portlon of which is shown at 10", this sleeve being designed to slide in the wellknown manner between the two upper sleeves. A spring of this type is designed to be provided with one or more cushioning chambers adapted to be supplied with air and oil, and the operation of which is wellknown.

Integral with, or attached to the sleeve 10", which constitutes an outer housing is a seat portion 11, designed to be attached to the chassis frame, a portion of which is shown at 13. In attaching an air spring of this kind to the chassis frame, a bracket is utilized, but inasmuch as it is important that the spring be in true vertical position, it is often a difficult matter to properly mount the spring, and in some instances it is necessary that the bracket be re-shaped to bring that portion of the bracket which engages the housing of the air spring to proper position. Likewise, it is usually the case that a large variety of castings are required to be kept on hand.

In accordance with the present invention I employ a two-part bracket including a part 14, adapted to fit into the channel of the chassis frame and to be secured therein by rivets or the like 15, and a part 16, which is designed to be connected to the part 14 and to be attached to the housing of the airspring. The parts 14 and 16 of the bracket have the equivalent of a hinge connection formed in this instance by a forwardly projecting ear 17 on the part 14, and 100 a pair of ears 18 on the bottom ortion of the rt 16 of the bracket, an between whic the ear 17 rojects and is secured by a rivet 19 or equlvalent means. Additionally the part 16 has a rearwardl project- 1 ing lug 20 which is in line with a front boss 21 on the part 14 of the bracket when the parts 14 and 16 occupy their proper fixed relationship.

This construction enables the positioning 11o of the parts 16 with reference to the part inserted to hold the bushing 14, before these arts are-definitely fastened ment. This provides an H: together, and i necessary, a shim 22 may tive holding means forthe be provided beneath the lug to bring shackle, an one which is not liable to be the pad 23 of the part 16 into proper )OSlbroken irrespective of the severe wedgin tion with respect to the portion 11 .o the to which the vehicle may be subjecter housing of the air spring.- When the parts However, when wear occurs, the play can occupy the proper relationship, the two be taken up by removing the plug or pin 32, parts 14 and 16 of the bracket are rigidly turning the bushing so as to move it insecured together by a, rivet or equivalent ward slightly, after which the plug will he means 24 which passes through the lug, restored to'hoId the bushing in its adjusted through the shim 22, and if the same is emposition. ployed, through both flanges on the chassis, Having described my invention, I claim: frame member 13, and through the boss 21 1. In combination with a teleswpic shock of the part 14.- of the bracket. With this absorbing device adapted to be employed in construction a very rigid mounting can be connection with a leaf spring of a vehicle,

obtained without loss of time, and with the a mounting by which the device is adapted air spring perfectly positioned with referto be attached to the chassis of a vehicle ence to the chassis frame. and comprising a part adapted to be secured Furthermore, the construction is such that to the chassis and a part adapted to be sethe same bracket can be used both as a right cured to the shock absorbing device, said and a left, i'. e. for both sides of the chassis parts having portions thereof connected toframe, and obviously the same size or desi gether in such manner as to permit adjust of bracket can be used for all cars, t e ment of said parts one relative to the other chassis frame members 13 of which have and other portions adapted to be rigidly the same shape or design, and are therefore secured together; adapted to receive the part 14 of the bracket. 2. Means for securing a shock absorbing Another improvement, as be ore s ed, device to a vehicle comprising a two-part resides in the eonneqtion ween he f bracket composed of a part adapted to be spring, which 1s indicated at 25 end the secured to the frame of a vehicle and a part bottom of the a r spring. In thlsulis ap adapted to be secured to the shock absorbthe leaf spring is connected to the an s ring i d i id part5 h i o ti by a shackle 26 having a bifurcated ower n t d a t it l ti dj t t, portion to which the end of the leaf spring f the parts to' properly position the shock 13 pinned. Likewise, this shackle. has at the b rbing device, and having overlapping top a ball 27 which engages a spherically tions adapted to be rigidly fasten d t formed seat, formed in a recess 28 m the th lower head or bottom 29 of the lower 3, I bi ti ith vghiclg having sleeve 10". a chassis frame and a leaf spring, an aux- Tiprovlde a good connection between the ili h k b b d t d t b shao e and the b t of 1111 p hg, nected between the leaf spring and chassis and at the same time to provide a c0nnect1on f a b k t, f tt hi g the hock which admits of adjustability for wear, the b b t th h i frame om i in lower part of the recess 28 is enlarged and t parts one d t d t b connected t threaded, h l'ecelves all l p e hthe chassis frame and the other to the shock ing 30 having a shoulder on which is supabsorbing device, said parts having p Ported a P hearing 31 for the spheljlcal tions connected together in the form of a hhP hgfuhst the hall y the bushing, hinge, and having other portions adapted to thls a s g foljmed of Worms 3 be connected together to prevent relative 31*, split at diametrically OPPOSltB' points movement b t th a indicated at 31 in Fig. 5. 4. In combination with a vehicle having The bottom of the bushing 30 has a latera chassis frame and a leaf spring, an auxilally proyect ng flange provlded with radial iary shock absorbing device adapted to be notches indicated at 30, and adapted t0 connected between the end of the leaf spring receive a suitable holding device 32 which d th h i f a ti f said may be, and in this instance is shown as the d i comprising a -1; d pt d t b fitt d.

outer portion of a plug normally closing the d secured t th h i frame, a art bottom of a duct 3?), through which oil is adapted to be secured to said device, th ada to be admitted to the air sprmg. parts having portions connected together by 1th this constr uctio n the parts are asmeans forming a horizontal pivot, and said sembled as snown in F1 1 ,and the bushse ond mentioned part having a lug extendmg is ad usted so as to o tam the necessary ing over the end of the chassis frame and close fit tween the ball 27 and the spheri idl ed ith r f ren ically abs (1 seats which it is designed to 5, An aun'liary shock absorbing device engage, a er which the plug or pm 32 is composed of telemping members, one adaptefiec- I bii lf bf the ed to be secured to the chassis frame of a mounted in the lower part of said our spring vehicle and the other to a leaf spring thereand having a split bearing member with a of, the lower part of said device having a spherical seat engaging the ball. V 10 recess with aspherical seat, a shackle hav- In testimony whereof, I hereunto. aflix my 8 ing a ball engaging said seat, and means for signature.

holding the ball in engagement with the seat, comprising a bushing adjustably JOHN F. WALLACE. 

